David Copperfield Inspired Dog Names

David Copperfield is greatly considered to be one, if not the best work of author Charles Dickens. The story, which is narrated in the first person, follows the titular character as he goes from being in his youth up to his adulthood. Born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, England, David Copperfield spends the early years of his life living happily with his mother Clara, and their good-natured housekeeper, Clara Peggotty. Since his mother and the housekeeper share the same name, David refers to the latter by her last name.

When David was seven years old, Clara marries a man named Edward Murdstone, who turns out to be cruel. Wanting to get rid of David, Murdstone sends him to live with the Peggotty family in Yarmouth. Peggotty’s brother, Daniel, lives with her along with nephew Ham and niece Emily, and Mrs. Gummidge, an elderly widow. Out of the two relatives, Emily is more favored and David is seemingly in love with her.

Upon his return to his home, David takes an instant dislike to his stepfather because of his habit of executing “firmness". Murdstone’s sister, Jane, shares the same attitude as him and is just as cruel. The siblings oppress and dictate Clara, who is a bit childish and gullible. As a result, David and Clara’s lives with the Murdstones end up being miserable and David’s studies are affected in the process. When Murdstone physically hurts David, he fights back and gets punished by sending him to a private boarding school known as Salem House. Mr. Creakle, who is a friend of Murdstone, is the school’s headmaster and, at his friend’s request, goes the extra mile to make life in Salem House harder for David.

While in Salem House, David befriends Tommy Traddles and James Steerforth. Being older, David sees Steerforth as an honorable and noble boy and develops an admiration for him. When David returns home for the holidays, he learns that his mother gives birth to a boy. However, shortly after going back to school, he is given the news that his newborn sibling and mother have passed. Because of this, David makes the decision to return home for good.

This was the start of David’ journey from childhood to maturity. He runs away and goes on to find his only surviving relative, an eccentric great-aunt named Betsey Trotwood. She takes David in and gives him a better life. After several ups and downs, David eventually becomes famous as a fictional author. Sometime after, he also falls in love with a woman named Dora Spenlow. Her prized possession is a spoiled lapdog named Jip, who is irritable and gets easily jealous. He is depicted to hate David because of Dora’s divided attention between the two of them. When Dora dies after a miscarriage, Jip dies with her, showing that he is loyal until the end.

David moves to Switzerland and while grieving his loss, he realizes that he is in love with a woman named Agnes, who he met in his life earlier. He returns to England and they fall in love with each other and get married. The couple eventually has five children, including a young girl whom they named after his great-aunt Betsey.